Hoop and trundling stick therefor



Dec. 14, 1965 w. P. GRUBBS 3,222,818

HOOP AND TRUNDLING STICK THEREFOR Filed July 17, 1965 Willie I? Grubbs 1N VENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,222,818 H00]? AND TRUNDLIN G STICK THEREFOR Willie P. Grubhs, New Albany Hotel, Room 402, Albany, Ga. Filed July 17, 1963, Ser. No. 295,769 4 Claims. (Cl. 46--220) The present invention relates to toys, generally speaking, and has reference, somewhat more particularly, to a novel roll-along hoop and a trundling and controlling stick which is expressly designed and adapted for use in conjunction with said hoop.

A general objective is to induce children to exercise by trundling an amusing wheel-type hoop along a pavement, sidewalk, or walkway much in the manner that children of bygone days paddled makeshift wooden wheels, metal bands, stout wire rings, barrel and keg hoops along a roadway or any available surface by running alongside the hoop and spanking or whacking the periphery of the hoop with a stick in a generally well known manner. The hoop-striking and guiding stick was usually any convenient broom handle, paddle, or the like which could he produced for the purpose on the spot as it were. Persons conversant with the prior art are aware that several patents have been granted on special hoops and also sticks for guiding the same wherein the structural improvement resides in the particular construction of the hoop, in other instances in the trundling stick and, in further adaptations where there exists a special tie-in between a wheel-type hoop and a specially headed trundling and controlling stick.

It is an object of the present invention to structurally, functionally and in other ways improve upon prior art hoops and sticks and, in doing so, to provide a novel combination which, it is believed, better fills the purposes for which playthings germane to this category are used.

One aspect of the instant concept has to do with the wheel-like hoop. To this end, the hoop is made, if desired, of available linoleum cut into strips and suitable for lightness. The main strip provides an endless rim or annulus which functions as the hoop. Spanning the central portion thereof and attached at ends thereof to diametrically opposite inner peripheral surfaces is a diametrically positioned brace or stabilizer. Cooperable with the stabilizer are auxiliary ring-like members which are fixed and are diametrically opposite each other. These members coact with the brace in producing an unusual illusion when the thus constructed. wheel-like hoop is rolled along a selected runway or surface.

The invention features a wheel-type hoop wherein the rim, the brace and ring-like component parts may be made of different colors and thus employed to achieve the spectacular results desired.

The pushing, guiding and controlling implement, referred to generally as the trundling stick, is also an advance in the art in that it comprises a simple handle comprising a flat-faced piece of plywood provided on its leading or pushing end with a head. The head is preferably made of laminations of linoleum of suitable colorful finish or design. The head may vary in geometrical configuration and may be ovate, crescent-shaped or some equivalent combined crescent and. lobe design.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of operation as more fully hereinatfer described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a View in perspective of the hoop and ice trundling stick or combination showing one form or adaptation thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the wheel-type roll-along hoop;

FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 are views showing a fragmentary portion of the handle or stick and illustrating heads for the leading end of the stick which vary in outline or configuration; and

FIGURE 6 is a section on an enlarged scale taken on the plane of the line 66 of FIGURE 4.

With reference now to the roll-along hoop it will be evident that it is denoted as an entity by the numeral 8 and while it is capable of being made from lightweight metal, wood, rubber or plastic material it is presently believed that it can, and probably will, be made of an approriate grade of linoleum, that is, strips of linoleum cut to provide the cooperating component parts. For instance, the main part comprises an endless rim 10 which is of appropriate fiat-surfaced width or breadth and is reinforced across its interior by way of a crossbrace or stabilizer which is made up of back-to-back strips 12 and 14 of linoleum having outwardly flared terminal end portions 16 which are suitably joined to the inner periphery of diametrically opposite opposed portions of the rim 10. In addition relatively small ring-like memhers 18 and 20 (also linoleum strips) are provided and these are preferably of the same diameter and also the like width as the width of the rim 10. These two rings or members are positioned diametrically opposite each other and interposed between the median portion of the stiffener or brace 22 and the inner peripheral surfaces 24 or" the encompassing rim.

The novel trundling implement is denoted as an entity by the numeral 26. It comprises a suitable stick of splinterproof wood or plastic, the same being elongated and rectangular and denoted at 28. The leading end of this stick is provided with a pushing, guiding and controlling head which is here denoted at 30 and which is of laminated construction. One lamination is denoted at 32 and the other one at 34 and these two laminations are disposed in superimposed relationship and, being of the same configuration or pattern, they provide an appropriate pushing and controlling head which is preferably provided at its leading end with an arcuate or curvate edge 36. More specifically, two pieces of linoleum or equivalent stock are cut out to provide corresponding patterns and are glued or otherwise fastened together with the end portion 38 (FIG. 6) of the stick glued, or otherwise fastened, therebetween. The length or dimension of the head relative to the cross-section of the stick is in keeping, proportionally speaking, with that illustrated in FIG. 1 and consequently the head has end portions 40 projecting beyond the lengthwise edge portions 41 of the stick so that these projecting portions can be used as hooks in guiding and controlling the run-along or rolling action of the hoop, according to the skill of the user.

With further reference to the laminations 32 and 34 it will be noted that the rearwardly disposed median portions, denoted at 42 are lobe-like in plan and the marginal edges merge into the adjacent marginal edges of the end extensions 40 in such a manner that the end portions 40 lend themselves to use in guiding and controlling the rolling flight of the hoop.

In the modification illustrated in FIG. 4, the stick 26a has its end portion 38 sandwiched and fastened between the superimposed oval laminations 44 in the manner illustrated. The leading edge 46 corresponds in function to the aforementioned edge 36 (FIGS. 1 and 3). The blunt but rounded end portions 48 cooperate with the rearward or trailing edges 50 in defining a two-ply ovate head which is denoted as an entity by the numeral 30a.

Structurally and functionally the remaining modification seen in FIG. 5 is basically the same. Here the head is denoted at 30B, the handle or stick at 26B. The head in plan is approximately crescent-shaped. The crescentshaped plies of sheet material, usually linoleum, are denoted by the numeral 52. The leading or forward edge is curved at 54 to correspond with the aforementioned edges 36 and 46. The hooked terminal end portions 56 cooperate with the rearward concave edge portion 58 in defining guiding and controlling hooks.

While it is Within the purview of the concept to use the headed trundling stick for spanking and paddling the rollable hoop 8 along the sidewalk or other surface, it will be evident that the leading curved edge can be used as a pusher. In addition and by properly manipulating the head on the trundling stick a desired guiding and braking action can be accomplished. The marginal outline or configuration of the head of the unit enables one after having experimented for a while to achieve the skill necessary in effectually handling both the hoop and the trundling stick.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An amusement and exercising toy hoop comprising an endless annular rim having inner and outer relatively wide peripheral surfaces, the outer surface constituting a traction surface which is capable of being rolled by a running youngster over a gymnasium floor, an out-ofdoors pavement, or like surface, stabilizing means comprising an internal brace extending midway across the open portion of said hoop and having diametrically opposite end portions affixed to cooperatively associated interior peripheral surfaces of said rim, a pair of duplicate ring-like members, each of an outside diameter less than the outside diameter of said hoop, said ring-like members being disposed diametrically opposite to each other and having corresponding outer peripheral portions proportional in width with and contacting and rigidly joined with cooperating inner peripheral portions of said hoop at points diametrically opposite each other and spaced circumferentially equidistant from the places of attachment of the end portions of said brace to said hoop, and a companion trundling implement complemental to said hoop and comprising an elongated handle provided at a leading end with hoop guiding and controlling pusher head generally flat-faced and having a smooth arcuately shaped leading edge functionally designed and structurally adapted to engage and otherwise cooperate with (1) said hoop, (2) said brace and (3) said ring-like members, said head being of a length greater than the Width of said hoop, and the end portions of said head being proportional with the inside diametral measurements of said ring-like members,

2. The structure according to claim 1 and wherein certain of the marginal edges of said head are arcuately curved and uninterruptedly smooth, said head embodying a pair of duplicate plies of sheet material superimposed one upon the other and having mated marginal edges precisely matched and secured together, said handle comprising a stick, the forward end portion of said stick being sandwiched and secured between the plies of said material, and said head being ovate in plan.

3. The structure according to claim 1 and wherein said head is substantially crescent-shaped in plan and embodies a pair of duplicate plies of crescent-shaped linoleum superimposed one upon the other and having their mated and coacting marginal edges matched and secured together, said handle comprising an elongated stick having a forward end portion thereof sandwiched and secured between coacting oriented median portions of the plies of linoleum.

4. A toy hoop adapted to be pushed, guided and otherwise controlled by a manually held and actuated trundling stick comprising an endless annular rim having relatively wide inner and outer peripheral coacting surfaces, internal stabilizing means embodying a cross brace extending midway across the open portion of the hoop and made up of elongated back-to-back connected strips of material of a cross-sectional width corresponding to the cross-section of said hoop and having outwardly disposed, outwardly flared end portions superimposed upon and attached to and transforming the space of the hoop into substantially semicircular half-portions, each provided with auxiliary bracing means complemental to said stabilizing means and comprising a pair of ring-like members coplanar with each other and located in the median area of the respective half-portions of the hoop, said members being coplanar and diametrically opposite each other and having outer peripheral portions abutting and secured to predetermined oriented median portions of the back-toback stabilizing strips and having outer peripheral portions superimposed upon and secured to coordinating inner peripheral surfaces of the encompassing hoop, the points of attachment of said ring-like members to said inner peripheral surface portions being circumferentially spaced from the points with which the aforementioned outer flared end portions of the stabilizing brace are oriented and adjoined, said cross brace and also said members serving not only to rigidify the overall hoop but to generate unique visual pattern effects when the hoop is being trundled along a surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,909,718 5/1933 Portteus 46220 2,976,645 3/1961 Hight et al. 46220 2,985,985 5/1961 Broody et a1. 46220 3,049,833 8/1962 Felsch 46220 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN AMUSEMENT AND EXERCISING TOY HOOP COMPRISING AN ENDLESS ANNULAR RIM HAVING INNER AND OUTER RELATIVELY WIDE PERIPHERAL SURFACES, THE OUTER SURFACE CONSTITUTING A TRACTION SURFACE WHICH IS CAPABLE OF BEING ROLLED BY A RUNNING YOUNGSTER OVER A GYMNASIUM FLOOR, AN OUT-OFDOORS PAVEMENT, OR LIKE SURFACE, STABILIZING MEANS COMPRISING AN INTERNAL BRACE EXTENDING MIDWAY ACROSS THE OPEN PORTION OF SAID HOOP AND HAVING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE END PORTIONS AFFIXED TO COOPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED INTERIOR PERIPHERAL SURFACES OF SAID RIM, A PAIR OF DUPLICATE RING-LIKE MEMBERS, EACH OF AN OUTSIDE DIAMETER LESS THAN THE OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF SAID HOOP, SAID RING-LIKE MEMBERS BEING DISPOSED DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE TO EACH OTHER AND HAVING CORRESPONDING OUTER LPERIPHERAL PORTIONS PROPORTIONAL IN WIDTH WITH AND CONTACTING AND RIGIDLY JOINED WITH COOPERATING INNER PERIPHERAL PORTIONS OF SAID HOOP AT POINTS DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE EACH OTHER AND SPACED 